PARIS, May 19. /TASS/. Russia’s mission to UNESCO has called on the organization’s secretariat to respond to the crimes against Russian journalists in Ukraine.
"UNESCO Executive Board adopted an important decision on the Safety of Journalists with a clear mandate for the Secretariat to respond appropriately to infringement of journalists' rights," it wrote on its Telegram channel on Friday. "It requests the Director-General to condemn killing and physical violence against journalists without distinction; recommends that the Director-General engages states and tech.companies to respond to arbitrary blocking of accounts and content of media in social networks and internet-platforms, appeals for persecution of journalists for their political beliefs; and encourages inclusive cooperation on the safety of journalists within the United Nations."
"We expect that the Secretariat will condemn persecution and crimes against Russian journalists in Ukraine, Baltic States and Moldova, extremist website "Myrotvorets", arbitrary blocking of Russian Media accounts in the West, and will ensure an inclusive approach in the framework of UNESCO press freedom events," the Russian mission stressed.
During the 216th session of the UNESCO Executive Board on issues of journalists’ security, Russian representatives drew attention to the fact that the Russian mass media "are facing serious obstacles in Western countries." "Along with broadcasting bans, it has come to security threats. In violation of their international commitments, the Baltic countries are persecuting the press," the Russian delegation said.
The delegation members expressed concern over the inaction and inefficiency of the relevant international structures, including UNESCO, and the lack of director general’s reaction to the murders of Russian journalists. The Russian mission demanded that real pluralism of opinions and universal approaches to journalists’ security be ensured.